This interactive online resource takes you through the key questions of:

Where am I?

What sort of life do I want?

How can I start working towards my kind of life?

You can use the resource to focus on areas you need to improve, but for maximum benefit it is recommended that you work through all the sections - but you don't need to do it all at once.

Windmills has been developed in partnership by the University of Liverpool's Graduates into Employment Unit and Dr. Peter Hawkins.

Gradsouthwest is grateful for their kind permission to link to the Windmills Interactive programme.

Recruitment Assessments and Tests

Many of the larger recruiters use online assessments as part of the selection process. New ones are being developed all the time but psychometric testing remains popular. Most tests need to be carefully administered so they are not generally available for private use on the internet but you can be prepared by reading up about the following:

Occupational Personality Questionnaire (OPQ)

Popular with graduate recruiters, this measures either sixteen or thirty two dimensions of an individual's personality grouped into four areas; relationships with people, thinking styles, emotions and energies. The full OPQ is not freely available online, but the SHL Personality Questionnaire will give you an idea of what's involved. The test takes approximately 20 minutes, after which you can download a free report. The report will help you identify your potential competencies which are important for success at work.

16PF

16PF measures 16 personality tests to predict behaviours. The test also looks at extraversion, anxiety, tough-mindnesses, independence and self control. It takes approximately 40 minutes to complete and must be administered by a qualified practitioner. It is not currently available free of charge online.

The Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)

This is one of the most common personality tests based on Jung's personality types. The test tends to be used once you have been employed for teambuilding. It must be administered by a qualified practitioner and is not available free of charge online. The Myers Briggs Foundation gives guidance about paying to access the test.

Aptitude tests

These are designed to objectively evaluate how you perform on task or react in different situations and include IQ tests and verbal, numerical and diagrammatical reasoning. The tests are usually time limited multiple choice, and unlike personality tests, there are right and wrong answers!